7 Common Mistakes Everyone Makes in App Building

Avoid these common mistakes to develop your app correctly the first time.

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Mobile and web applications are booming and that means more companies are entering the space. This leads to an extremely competitive field and a smaller chance of ‘making it’.

With 2.2 million apps in the Apple App Store and 2.8 million apps on Google Play, the standard has become extremely high.

That’s why it’s so important to research which common mistakes everyone makes in app building the development. Use the following warning signs to prevent yourself from repeating the mistakes of your peers.

1. No Purpose In Mind

It’s one thing to have a great idea, and another to implement it. Before you spend money on hiring developers and designers; ask yourself what the purpose of your app is?

What are you trying to achieve? Do you want to provide a resource that is educational, create a game for entertainment or provide a service? A common mistake that app creators make is to ignore their target audience. An idea is all good and well, but who did you create it for? Do you have a target audience in mind that’s more than likely to make use of your software?

It’s important to stipulate the purpose of your application before building it. Having a purpose in mind will allow you to streamline decision-making by keeping the end goal and the purpose in mind.

2. Not Considering Your Platforms

Choosing the right platform for your application is a big part of determining your success. You might have different reasons for choosing iOS or Android.

“Currently, 37% of all mobile developers target both iOS and Android. The majority target one platform or the other. However, competition is tight on both, meaning there is no clear distinction on which platform is easier to succeed on”. - Clear Bridge Mobile

Do your market research to determine which platform would be ideal for your audience. Look at the following factors when deciding which platform would work best:

The type of app that you are building

Monetization options

The market you are aiming for

User demographics

3. Not Thinking About Monetization

Whether your application is lucrative will depend on the type of monetization that you choose. It’s important to decide which type of service you will be providing and how much you will charge.

Are you create a free app with in-app purchases, a subscription-based app or a free app that runs ads? Try to determine your means of monetization to suit the type of app you are building as well as your projected user base.

On the topic of monetization, advertising and marketing also come in play. Don’t assume your app with just influence and promote itself - it’s crucial to have a marketing strategy in place before your app even launches. It’s important to create a buzz, deliver a brilliant product and then keep the ‘buzz’ going.

4. Not Considering Bandwidth

Many times developers don’t consider the bandwidth quality of their users. They should also account for low-bandwidth users even if the majority of users don’t have that issue. Mobile devices aren’t on par with the speed of LAN connections.

Keep this in mind when using images that have to load or make sure they are reduced for mobile apps. The focus has to be on your app’s performance, and for that, you have to consider the space and memory of all devices.

5. No Testing and Upgrades

With the speed of technical advancement, it’s easy for those in the digital world to forget that the consumers you’re targeting might not be up to speed with the latest tech. Great applications work across a broad spectrum of browsers and devices, and are built to reach as many people as possible. - Huffington Post

Creating an app is one thing, but making sure that it works is another. When developing a product such as a mobile app you have to test every function as well as its compatibility with different sized device screens.

When developing an app you need to keep in mind that there is no end-date. Apart from testing your product you always have to keep damage control in mind. It’s important to have an upgrade strategy in place for the ‘upkeep’ of your application.

Development and design are about keeping up with the currently technological environment. If you don’t have a team of developers, invite friends over and ask them to help with testing. It’s as basic as testing every feature and finding bugs, broken links etc. If they have different devices to test the software on, even better.

6. The Wrong UI/UX Development Style

Once the mock-up and sketching is created you’ll have a clear idea of the structure of the interface. A crucial step that people miss is creating a user flow diagram. This will give you an idea of how individuals will interact with your interface.

Before the rise of smartphones and applications, developers focused their user interfaces for keyboard and mouse input. When it comes to mobile app development you need to focus on the thumb and finger actions of the user. Thus, you UI components must be optimized according to how the users would interact with their device.

This influences the size and placement of the UI elements and it should be effortless for a user to type and type without getting frustrated. Make use of menu items and minimal scrolling when it comes to your front-end design. Also keep typography and trending design elements in mind when developing your UI.

7. Not Relying on Experts

Although there are numerous resources available for building your own app or website, it is advised to work with experts if you want your app to be anything other than a hobby. Investing in a good team of developers and designers might be expensive at first, but it will save you a lot of time and money in the long run.

Apart from being able to tap into the vast skills of these professionals, they will also be able to consult you on the process because of their experience with the industry. Use as much help you can get from those around you and don’t be afraid to ask for advice.